Running out of zucchini recipe ideas?

Running out of zucchini recipe ideas?

Prairie Palate: Try this French Zucchini Loaf for lunch or dinner

As luck would have it, I am penning these words in France. I arrived in Paris this morning full of bad airplane coffee and a fat slice of spice cake, which passed for breakfast aboard my flight. So, first things first. Settle into the hotel room then venture out in search of lunch: a good […] Read more

This chickpea and spinach recipes is simply delicious!

Following Canada’s Food Guide

Try this recipe that will fit all four categories of the current guide

The federal government is updating Canada’s Food Guide and I say it’s about time. I have a few bones to pick with the last one. For instance, take the recommendation to eat six to seven grain products per day. That’s the recommended amount for an adult woman; for men it’s eight. I grew up on […] Read more


Spudnuts — specialty of the Saskatoon summer fair

Spudnuts — specialty of the Saskatoon summer fair

Prairie Palate: These potato doughnuts are light and fluffy and a delicious way to eat mashed potatoes


Today, I would like to tell you about the time I kept a New Year’s resolution all the way into August. Yes, eight months. No fails. As you might guess, this resolution had nothing to do with exercise, weight loss or budgeting, all of which have a low success rate beyond February 1. No, this […] Read more

Time to get outside for a picnic

Time to get outside for a picnic

Prairie Palate: Pack up a basket with no-fuss food and enjoy a meal outdoors

Have we forgotten the pleasure of picnicking? Long before the convenience of slow cookers and Crock-Pots, Prairie folks were quick to pack a basket and enjoy a pleasant meal outdoors in the company of family and friends. Many occasions called for a picnic: sport days, rodeos, end-of-school celebrations, church gatherings, Canada Day, 4th of July […] Read more


Will your family be ‘schpocking’ at Easter?

Will your family be ‘schpocking’ at Easter?

Prairie Palate: This ancient game of cracking hard-boiled eggs traces back to Russian tradition

In some parts of the world, the new year is celebrated at the spring equinox. This makes perfect sense. At the equinox, the days get longer, the sun gets warmer and things start to grow again. Spring is nature’s new year. OK, OK, it’s still half winter here, but a New Year’s celebration would pick […] Read more

Make an old-time Strawberry Pudding

Make an old-time Strawberry Pudding

Prairie Palate: The recipe first appeared in a newspaper in 1918

A century ago, Canada was at war. The battle for Vimy Ridge took place on April 9 to 12, 1917, during which 3,600 Canadians lost their lives and thousands were wounded. Back in Canada, families supported the war effort in many ways, including in their kitchens. They were encouraged to be frugal, eliminate kitchen waste, […] Read more


Edible flower gardening

Edible flower gardening

Flowers not only look good in the garden, lots of them make great eating

Some people prefer to grow flowers and some people prefer to grow good things to eat, but me, I like to do both at once. Edible flower gardening. Here are good reasons to eat flowers: Flowers taste good. Think of peppery nasturtiums, tangy tangerine marigolds, sweet red clover and the blossoms of herbs. Flowers are […] Read more

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In honour of my Irish grandmother here’s a traditional potato recipe

Since St. Patrick’s Day is nigh upon us, I dedicate today’s musings to my grandmother, Josephine O’Hara. Or, as I knew her best, Grandma Jo. Grandma Jo was proud of her Irish heritage. So proud, that dinner on St. Patrick’s Day was akin to Christmas or Easter. In other words, a feast. There would be […] Read more


Mexican pork carnitas

Mexican pork carnitas

There’s lots of oranges and limes available now so this is a perfect time to make this

I remember the first time I picked an orange. Not from the produce section. Not from a fruit bowl. Not from the recesses of my Christmas stocking. Picked an orange from a real orange tree. I remembered it today because I just picked an orange and the smell took me back to the first time […] Read more

Juniper berries — tasty addition to venison stew

Juniper berries — tasty addition to venison stew

Prairie Palate: These are perfect added to any stew made with wild ingredients but also go well with beef

One crisp winter day I set out to pick juniper berries at a local park. I planned to make bigos, an old Polish stew, for a dinner party that week, for which juniper berries are a traditional ingredient. Being both frugal and old-fashioned, I decided to forage the junipers in the wild, or at least […] Read more